Ojai Juniors: Rio Mesa's Dobrin beats rain, opponent

With rain wreaking havoc on Thursday's first full day of The Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament, Rio Mesa High senior Jenna Dobrin knew she was fortunate to have gotten in the first match without much delay.

"It feels really good to have my first match done," Dobrin said via telephone. "I had my mind set on playing today, and I was ready to go, so I feel really good about getting my match in and winning it."

Because an injury kept Dobrin from competing in The Ojai last year, this is the senior's first time playing an event she considers one of the best in tennis.

"I am so excited to finally have a chance to play in the Ojai, even with delays," Dobrin said. "Win or lose, I am thrilled to be part of it."

Under the original schedule, Dobrin was to play her second match today at 9:30 a.m., but with so many first-round matches yet to be completed, Dobrin isn't sure when she will play next.

Her plan is to try and keep as much of her regular routine as possible, including doing a lot of jump rope as part of her warm-up. She knows her second-round opponent will have to play early before they can play their match.

"I'll probably watch some other matches and try to keep from getting too anxious," Dobrin said.

Krems said when she left her house in Thousand Oaks on Thursday morning it was pouring, so she was surprised to find some sun in Ojai when she first arrived.

Krems had a hard time finding a court to get ready because of all the delays.

She started her match with little warm-up and managed to win the first set before the drizzle started, causing the match to be stopped. While Krems was happy when she was told the match would resume, she also found out it would be played on a different court.

"Any time you're taken off the court, there's a chance your momentum gets upset — and that happened, and I lost the second set," Krems said.

Because of the weather, it was decided that any match tied after two sets would not be decided by a third set, but rather a 10-point tiebreaker.

Being a veteran of tournament play, Krems knew she needed to refocus for the tiebreaker.

"I really tried to get even more balls in play," Krems said. "Anyone who tells you they don't feel pressure in those situations doesn't have a pulse. I focused on the process, and it turned out OK."

Because she plays all over the country, Krems said she's learned not to worry about things she can't control.

"When you have extra-long days, fitness plays such a big role in how things turn out," Krems said.